Campaign resource material

[Hitcher]

The purpose of this thread is to be an archive for media releases, fact sheets, reference material, contacts lists, strategies, and that sort of thing.

It is not intended to be a normal forum or conversational thread.

It will be strictly moderated to ensure that it is only used as an archive.

Members are encouraged to notify Moderators of any material that they would like relocated into here from other threads or forums, and also to place material themselves or links to material located elsewhere on the Internet.

[MSTRS:Me]

This article HBToday Dec 5, 2007 talks about the "Statistical Value of a Life" according to Ministry of Transport..... if a cheesecutter takes one life (that another form of barrier would not have), it can hardly be considered a viable economic option

[MSTRS:Me]

http://www.mraa.org.au/downloads/Bar...inalReport.pdf

[MSTRS:Me]

1. Courtesy Colapop Prior to the Wellington protest ride
Press Release by Cheesecutter Campaign Group at 9:08 am, 08 Nov 2007

Motorcyclists are angry about the increasing use of wire-rope barriers on New Zealand's highways. They believe that these barriers are being used in the face of growing international evidence that clearly shows these barriers threaten the lives of motorcyclists.

"A recent death on Auckland's southern motorway where a rider and his motorcycle were cut in half by a wire-rope barrier has unified and incensed New Zealand's biker community," spokesperson Col Allen said. "Bikers are tired of having their safety concerns ignored by regulators and traffic planners. Enough is enough.

"We want urgent action to prevent further unnecessary biker deaths and injuries. Bikers are urging our traffic safety policy-makers to take heed of European safety studies about wire-rope barriers and take steps to remove all barriers where these put at risk the lives, health and safety of motorcyclists. Countries like the United Kingdom have banned the use of these barriers. Others have placed significant restrictions as to where and how they can be used," he said.

"As a minimum we are asking for a moratorium on the construction of wire-rope barriers until officials have had a chance to examine what we believe is compelling evidence and develop traffic barrier options that are safer for bikers.

"Any deaths or injuries caused by wire-rope barriers are avoidable. We believe that our transport officials and traffic planners use wire-rope barriers primarily because they are comparatively cheap and easy to erect.

"We want to work alongside the relevant road safety organisations to develop solutions that reduce road accidents and the personal deaths and injuries that result. Meanwhile we want no more wire-rope barriers on New Zealand's roads," spokesperson Col Allen said.

ENDS

2. Courtesy Yungatart/Hitcher Prior to the Taupo protest ride
Sunday 2 December 2007

New Zealand’s motorcyclists are becoming increasingly concerned about what they believe is the inappropriate use of wire-rope barriers on our roads.

The event that has brought this matter to the front of motorcyclists’ minds, is the recent tragic death of a motorcyclist in Auckland who was cut in half after hitting a wire rope barrier (“cheesecutter”). Concerned motorcyclists are now conducting a campaign to lobby Government and Transit to review the use of these barriers.

Protest rides have been held in Auckland and Wellington to draw attention to the unnecessary risk these barriers pose. A public petition is circulating nationwide and the Cheesecutter Action Campaign is endeavouring to educate all road users on the risks posed by wire-rope barriers.

On Tuesday December 4 2007, a group of motorcyclists will be staging a protest ride to Transit’s Road Safety Barrier Systems Workshop in Taupo, where conference delegates have been invited to hear a short address outlining motorcyclists’ concerns.

As a minimum, the Cheesecutter Action Campaign wants a moratorium on the construction of new wire-rope barriers until officials have had a chance to examine compelling evidence that these barriers are not the best choice for all road users, and particularly motorcyclists. Many overseas countries have banned the use of these barriers as a result of the deaths and horrific injuries caused to too many riders in those countries.

The Cheesecutter Action Campaign understands that our roading officials and traffic planners are seeking to make our roads safer. But the Campaign believes that these same officials and planners are cutting corners over costs, and erecting wire-rope barriers when they should be using other safer forms of construction. Furthermore, wire-rope barriers are being installed in places where no barrier is necessary, such as on road edges protecting nothing more than a grass verge, which seems contrary to the desires of officials to stop head-on accidents.

The Cheesecutter Action Campaign would like to work with Transit to develop solutions that are safer for all road users. Meanwhile we want no more wire-rope barriers installed on New Zealand’s roads.

On behalf of the Cheesecutter Action Campaign
www.cheesecutter.co.nz

[MSTRS:Me]

http://www.mag-uk.org/index2.html - under MagNews Press Releases you will find...
Norwegian Motorcyclists Win Fight Against Cable Barriers!

Issued 8th August 2006

On Friday 4th August the Norwegian Minister of Transport, Mrs. Liv Signe Navarsete, announced a ban on the use of cable barriers. She did so after years of lobbying by FEMA´s member organisation, the Norwegian Motorcycle Union (NMCU). “Finally, we see an end to the egg slicers”, said NMCU chairman Jan-Fredrik Moller.

Since the early nineties, the NMCU has spearheaded the struggle against cable barriers, or wire rope fences, a design not at all developed with motorcyclists’ safety in mind. In a press conference outside the Department for Transportation in Oslo, Norway, the Minister of Transport, Mrs. Liv Signe Navarsete, made the following announcement:

“I have, in agreement with the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, reviewed the objections from the NMCU, and examined the case more closely. Today I have this message to the NMCU and the Norwegian motorcyclists: The Public Roads Administration shall hereafter use crash barrier types that offer a high level of safety for all groups of road users. This implies that there will be no more road stretches fitted with cable barriers, beyond those already installed”.

The Norwegian Public Roads Administration has argued that cable barriers cost a lot less than other barrier designs. While it is true that cable barriers are cheaper to purchase, maintenance costs have proven to be astronomical, and thus the total cost ends up comparable to other designs. “We are very pleased that the Minister of Transport has heard our objections, and we’re grateful for the wise decision she has made. This is a victory for road safety, for the NMCU, and for all motorcyclists in Norway”, said Jan-Fredrik Moller, facing massive applause from the motorcyclists present.

There’s a growing scepticism towards the use of cable barriers throughout Europe. Denmark has removed all theirs, the Dutch Parliament decided last year to ban cable barriers and even prominent members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have now suggested a ban in the European Union. In this respect, Mrs. Navarsete’s wise decision is in accordance with the developments in the rest of Europe.

NMCU´s success supports FEMA´s fight on European level. During a meeting in the European parliament on Wednesday 19 April 2006, FEMA informed MEPs about the dangers connected with the use of crash barriers. With standard crash barriers motorcyclists will often slide under the barrier, instead of being guided. A collision with one of the supporting poles often leads to fatal injuries. The safety of motorcyclists can be improved by adapting crash barriers with elements that prevent riders from hitting the poles. But with cable barriers not only the posts, but also the cables pose a threat as they can have a cutting effect that might lead to amputations. This type of crash barrier has earned the nickname, the ´egg slicer´, for a reason. The stories of motorcyclists who have survived encounters with the cable barriers are horrifying.

FEMA therefore calls on the European Commission to include motorcycles in the testing of crash barriers within the current EN 1317 standard, so that crash barriers can be made safe for all road users. Or to develop a new standard, parallel to EN 1317, focussing on motorcyclists' specific safety needs since that is absolutely not the case at this moment.


Issued by

The Norwegian Motorcycle Union (NMCU)
P.O. Box 5126
N-1503 Moss

Email: nmcu@nmcu.org

Phone: +47 6920 4646
Fax: +47 6920 4640

Website: http://www.nmcu.org/english/index.html

[MSTRS:Me]

Plenty of reference material here
http://www.network.mag-uk.org/barriers/index.html

[MSTRS:Me]

The reason why these barriers are so dangerous to 'us'...
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...95&postcount=1

[MSTRS:Me]

And how the same barriers can be dangerous to ordinary motorists...

[MSTRS:Me]

http://www.network.mag-uk.org/barriers/WRB-reportV9.pdf

[MSTRS:Me]

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/at...5&d=1192929614

[MSTRS:Me]

http://www.fema.ridersrights.org/cra...ier/index.html

[MSTRS:Me]

http://www.network.mag-uk.org/crashb...arrier2005.pdf

[MSTRS:Me]

Transit had this report prepared in 2006, so any statement by them to the effect that they will 'now take a look at our concerns' is disingenuous at least.
The general drift of the report is that all barriers are dangerous to motorcyclists, so I extrapolate from that that Transit will increasingly use WRB due to cost.
http://www.transportation.org/sites/...ber%202006.pdf

More transit info...
http://www.transit.govt.nz/content_f...30_PDFFile.pdf

[MSTRS:Me]

And if a cheesecutter allows a truck through with the subsequent carnage or is instrumental in the death of a motorcyclist, then it wasn't such a cheap fix, was it?
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...&postcount=328

[MSTRS:Me]

A selection of photos from Taupo that display some good ideas for posters/placards.
In #5 the guy in the middle is the Transit delegate who spoke to us. He is Transit's Traffic and Safety Manager. I think his name is Stuart...